The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the dates for the first-ever spring Long Island wild turkey hunting season. The opening of this new season is the result of wild turkey reintroduction efforts DEC initiated in the mid-1990s. [Read more…] about A New Spring Turkey Hunting Season on Long Island
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Avian Influenza Outbreak Confirmed at DEC’s Ithaca Game Farm
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus affecting the DEC-run Reynolds Game Farm pheasant population. Pheasants are raised there for release in New York State for hunting purposes. [Read more…] about Avian Influenza Outbreak Confirmed at DEC’s Ithaca Game Farm
2022 Bear Hunting Statistics
New York black bear hunters killed an estimated 1,318 black bears during the 2022 hunting seasons. Overall kills declined slightly compared to the 2021 hunting season, with the greatest density occurring in areas of the Catskills.
An estimated 458 bears were killed in the Northern Zone and an estimated 860 bears in the Southern Zone. [Read more…] about 2022 Bear Hunting Statistics
South Colton Tract Easement Comments Sought
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced they are seeking public input on the development of a draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the South Colton Tract Conservation Easement, a privately owned tract subject to a conservation easement encompassing approximately 1,725 acres in the town of Colton, St. Lawrence County. Comments are being sought on the development of the draft RMP until April 21st, 2023. [Read more…] about South Colton Tract Easement Comments Sought
Whitetail Antler Sheds & Deer Health
Throughout the winter months, whitetail bucks cast off or “shed” their antlers in response to dropping testosterone levels associated with increasing daylight. Many outdoor enthusiasts search for these shed antlers as collectibles, use them to build lamps or furniture, and determine which bucks made it through the hunting season. [Read more…] about Whitetail Antler Sheds & Deer Health
Men Arrested For Drinking, Driving and Hunting
On February 15, after a weeks-long investigation, New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) charged two men in Onondaga County with more than a dozen violations related to a hunting incident and drunk driving arrest in January. [Read more…] about Men Arrested For Drinking, Driving and Hunting
DEC Reports 9 Hunting-Related Shooting Incidents in 2022
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the 2022 hunting seasons tied 2021 for the safest-ever year, with nine hunting-related shooting incidents, the lowest number since record-keeping began. [Read more…] about DEC Reports 9 Hunting-Related Shooting Incidents in 2022
Flood Project at St. Lawrence River Boat Launch Completed
Construction is complete on a flood resiliency project at the Oak Point Boat Launch in the town of Hammond, St. Lawrence County. The completed improvements are expected to address fluctuating water levels along the St. Lawrence River, as well as promote boater safety. [Read more…] about Flood Project at St. Lawrence River Boat Launch Completed
12-and 13-Year-Olds Killed More Than 1,800 Deer Last Fall
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced results of the second year of a pilot program allowing 12- and 13-year-old hunters to kill whitetail deer with a firearm or crossbow. [Read more…] about 12-and 13-Year-Olds Killed More Than 1,800 Deer Last Fall
Woodsman Willard Howland and his Amazing Critters
“
Lotsa Screes in here tonight,” Willard spoke low. “Puts me in mind of a he-scree I see up in Hawk’s Nest one fall when I was trappin’.”
And so began a story that would enliven the trailside or campsite for those who had the privilege to spend time with Willard Howland. Little has been written about the life of this woodsman beyond bits and pieces of the stories he told. It could even be said that his tales, everything from experiences in the woods, to amazing fantasy creatures that inhabited his wilderness, tell more of who Willard was than anything a written history could reveal. [Read more…] about Woodsman Willard Howland and his Amazing Critters